inquisitiveness

[ in-kwiz-i-tiv-nis ]

noun

1. the quality of being given to asking questions; intellectual curiosity or eagerness for knowledge:

   Younger students often have an amazing sense of curiosity and inquisitiveness that naturally leads them into exploring and learning.

2. the quality of being excessively or inappropriately curious about other people’s affairs; nosiness:

   My landlord's inquisitiveness made me determined to seek more desirable accommodations elsewhere.

Other Words From

• su·per·in·quis·i·tive·ness noun
• un·in·quis·i·tive·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of inquisitiveness¹

inquisitive ( def ) + -ness ( def )

Example Sentences

This ever-curious beagle and I would explore the planet together, with his inquisitive nose always leading the way.

From Washington Post

Browne was an inquisitive youth with a “try anything” attitude that didn’t always work when he was fiddling with muskets and gunpowder, or when he joined a circus and volunteered to ride a bicycle across a high wire.

From Washington Post

Bridging the Two CulturesBy Priyamvada NatarajanI was an inquisitive child and my parents encouraged me and actively cultivated my curiosity.

From Nautilus

We don’t have to use a telescope, or a microscope, or spend a billion dollars to study it — just an inquisitive eye.

From Quanta Magazine

But, thankfully, Dyer disobeys his hero and himself and gets all pondery, letting his inquisitiveness off the chain.

From The Daily Beast

And yet, her inquisitiveness and restless mind seem to make it hard for her to be a full-on believer.

From The Daily Beast

You will pardon the inquisitiveness of an old man, but are not you musicians a most impressionable lot?

From Project Gutenberg

The leader of the band, who went by the name of Black Will, muttered a curse upon his inquisitiveness.

From Project Gutenberg

"We have had a terrible time of it, Mr. McGaw," stated Mayo, avoiding the mate's inquisitiveness.

From Project Gutenberg

The man chained to his rock pile doubted the wisdom of his question, but African inquisitiveness had mastered his better judgment.

From Project Gutenberg

The only quality, indeed, in him that still continued to jar upon them was his phenomenal inquisitiveness.

From Project Gutenberg